Milliseid spordiriideid ja -jalatseid on ohtlik osta kasutatud ja mida on väga võimalik?

Have you heard about the eco-friendly trend? Yes, it is fashionable to take care of the planet today, and conscious attitude to things is one of the options to support the trend.

Flea markets, sites like Avito and Yula, second hand shops – buying clothes and shoes from hand, giving them a second life, is no longer shameful at all. Another thing is that certain categories of goods have specifics. Some things simply cannot be worn after someone else. Sometimes it can even be dangerous.

One such option is sports equipment. In the same second hand shops, its choice is huge and prices are acceptable. However, a successful purchase will be only under certain circumstances. What factors should be considered?

Important circumstances

First, the level of your claims. If you buy clothes, shoes for amateur sports, light hiking or walking around the city, the chances of making a fatal mistake are zero. Even if the thing has already worked out (or it was spoiled by improper care), most likely, you will not even notice it.

Another thing is clothing and equipment for serious training and difficult hikes. This is where buying “aged” products is associated with risk. When we talk about professional outfits, we mean technological solutions – with moisture management systems, water and air tightness.

All this costs a lot, and the desire to find a budget alternative is justified, but it is important to understand that if the item has been in use for too long and/or has not received proper care (proper washing, drying), the new owner may get it used up its resource.

Again, for a walk in the park it’s fine, but for a hike in the mountains it’s important that the technology works.

All of this also applies to apparel and sneakers for professional running. Here, solutions from leading brands will cost no cheaper than touring ones. The price will similarly depend on the technologies. If they have already worked off, then in fact you get only the logo of a well-known brand.

There is another important nuance – the memory of the previous owner. If we are talking about sneakers or boots, over the years of wear they acquire the shape of the foot of the owner. Complete coincidence of pronation, supination, location of blisters, etc.. – is an incredible story.

Let’s summarize. What are the pros and cons of the idea to buy sports equipment in the second hand? In each of the points will be nuanced. You can make an informed choice if you clearly realize the purpose for which things are purchased. Of course, luck does not hurt here too. It happens that people get rid of brand new things. But here the advice will be one – to believe in your star and scrutinize the condition of the product. On the novelty say: the visible level of wear (lint, puffs, etc.), the presence of tags and labels.

Weigh and decide

Arguments “for”

1. Opportunity to save money

Given today’s prices for sportswear and footwear, any opportunity not to overpay is worth considering. Especially if it also helps support a vital trend.

So what are the nuances here? If you need all of these for non-strenuous sporting activities, why not? The quality and level of wear is realistically found quite decent.

If you need professional equipment, you may get lucky here too. We have already said that sometimes in the second hand get brand new things. And this often happens with products from the category of sports equipment. People often buy such things “on the spur of the moment”, but they never use them in business. The impulse disappears, and the thing remains dusty in the closet. But there is also a nuance here – it is important that the process does not drag on for decades. From a long downtime, technology can also suffer.

2. The opportunity to purchase the original

The fashion world is ruled by brands. It’s the same in sports. Of course, their hegemony did not arise from nothing. And it’s not just about successful marketing strategies. Experience, technology, own developments – all this makes the products of Nike, adidas, Asics, Lowa and others so coveted.

The more seriously a person is immersed in his sphere, the more often he prefers specialized brands. But it is realistic to find both popularized adidas and narrowly specialized Mammut in second hand. And there is a chance that the thing will really be original. But there are nuances here too.

Real Nike from the USA are artifacts that can be found only in second hand shops of “old sample”. Those where clothes were actually imported from Europe and the US. A lot of things have changed. Today, such stores often resemble Soviet commission stores. There it is quite possible to come across a fake, brought from the same Turkey.

Arguments “against”

1. The risk of getting used technology

Let’s imagine that a person bought second hand (or simply from hand) mountaineering boots for climbing. The pair has either been in active wear or has been sitting unmoved for 20 years.

It is good if he only dreamed of hiking, but in fact he bought shoes for the city. The sole, which in the first walk sprinkled right under his feet – it is unpleasant. But what if the purchase went to use for its intended purpose? Sneakers that fell apart on a slope is a different story. It could cost a life.

2. The risk that the item will never truly become yours

If you bought sneakers that have been in active wear, they will hardly ever readjust to your foot. It may happen, but the process of adaptation will not go without loss. There can be blisters and foot pain. From the point of view of orthopedics, such experiments can not be called successful.

The exception is “collectible” purchases. If you do not wear these things, but only to store and enjoy the possibility of acquiring some artifact, it is important only to fine-tune the system of anti-fake filters. Know how to distinguish the original from the fake.